Start-up Humavox unveils wireless charging via radio frequency

Israeli start-up Humavox has announced a new hardware platform that uses radio frequency (RF) to transmit power wirelessly to mobile devices.

Humavox’s Eterna platform is aimed at making it simpler to charge wearable devices such as hearing aids, smartwatches and augmented reality glasses.

The wireless charging market – small as it is — is dominated by companies that today offer products that use electromagnetic fields to create a link to transfer power without cords. As of yet, the marketplace has not settled on an industry standard, though groups have taken positions behind several specifications.

Humavox’s Eterna hardware platform will be sold as intellectual property to device manufacturers so they can integrate the company’s wireless charging element using whatever method works best for them, according to Omri Lachman, founder and CEO of Israel Humavox.

The Humavox technology consists of a “NEST” Station — a design-free RF resonator that charges devices put inside it, with no placement or orientation requirements. The NEST (i.e., like a bird’s nest) prototype created by Humavox is a white, plastic ball that can be opened to reveal a small charging bowl.

Lachman said the device should be able to charge an enabled product in about the same time as with a charging cord. In tests, the technology’s charging efficiency “rarely drops below 90%,” he said, referring to the amount of power lost in the wireless transfer.
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